In Celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the Bristol Historical Association highlights Smithfield Plantation and the Preston family. Michael Hudson, executive director of Smithfield Plantation, delivers a lecture on the early Preston family Monday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m., at the Bristol Public Library. The lecture is sponsored by the Bristol Historical Association, and the public is invited.
Built in 1774, Smithfield Plantation was the home of Revolutionary War patriot Colonel William Preston who played a critical role in settling the Appalachian Mountains. The house and museum offer insight into 18th-century life on Virginia’s western frontier and are located on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, the institution founded by Preston’s grandson, William Ballard Preston.
The Preston family plays a prominent role in local history. The Martha Washington Inn was the home of General Francis Preston and wife Sara. The Robert Preston house on Lee Highway, owned by the Bristol Historical Association, was the home of a surveyor commissioned by Thomas Jefferson. The nearby John Preston House is the Child Advocacy Center. The Preston family produced four Virginia governors, national cabinet members and leaders in education.
Hudson holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Liberty University and focuses his research on the history of Lynchburg, the American Civil War and the American Revolution. He has worked in historic sites interpretation and historic site management for 25 years. Some of Hudson’s work experience includes two decades with the National Park Service and a stint as the executive director of the Avoca Museum in Altavista, Virginia.
